Earlier this year, the DCS: F-15C completed its design phase and moved into full development. Back in May, we showed you how photogrammetry and laser scanning are being used to build the aircraft, with thousands of high-resolution reference images processed into detailed 3D data and laser scans capturing the hardest-to-reproduce areas, like the exhaust mechanisms and intake geometry.
This week, we're taking you inside the work. In the cockpit, the front instrument panel is coming together, from the UHF radio and HUD control panels down to the engine, fuel and hydraulic gauges, with the side consoles being built up alongside it. The canopy has received the same attention, right down to its latching hooks, safety pin and lanyard, and the grab handles on the frame.
Outside, the airframe is taking shape one panel line at a time, from the vertical tails and stabilators to the underside of the fuselage. Look closer, and you'll find the details few pilots ever see: the speed brake, its actuator and hydraulic lines in their well, and the equipment bay behind the pilot's seat, packed with wiring harnesses, connectors and electrical components. Open the canopy, and that bay should be right there.
These are work-in-progress images, and many of the models shown aren't textured yet. Plenty of work remains, and we'll keep sharing progress as the DCS: F-15C comes together.
